Armed Forces: Medals

Lord Brougham and Vaux: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce the result of the review of military decorations; and, in particular, when they expect to make an announcement about the creation of a campaign medal for veterans of the Arctic supply convoys in World War II.

Lord Astor of Hever: The review of the rules governing the award of military medals being conducted by Sir John Holmes is due to report this summer. The results should reflect the input from all interested parties, including veterans' organisations, making recommendations where appropriate. The Government will then consider the report and its recommendations and make an announcement in due course.
	The Ministry of Defence remains very aware of the campaign for further recognition for those who served as part of the Arctic convoys. However, at this stage it would be wrong for me to prejudge the final outcome of the review, and I await its final conclusions.

China

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the trade imbalance between the United Kingdom and China; and when they expect this policy to lead to balanced trade between the two countries.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: The Government, in particular through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and its trade services delivery partner, the China-Britain Business Council, provide an extensive range of trade support services for UK business. UKTI's strategy targets its services at innovative and high growth SMEs to encourage more to export, help existing exporters to reach more high growth and emerging markets, including China, and win high value opportunities overseas for UK businesses of all sizes. Ministers engage with their Chinese counterparts in order to help develop a conducive business environment for UK business in China.
	Bilateral trade imbalances are natural and normal in a multilateral trading system. However, UK exports to China rose 35.4% in 2010 and 21.2% in 2011 while Chinese imports rose 23.4% and 2.7 % respectively. Other additional UK exports to China do not appear in these statistics, such as parts for machinery which is assembled and exported from elsewhere in the EU, and services which are provided in Hong Kong and China by UK companies.

Commonwealth: Ministerial Task Force

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy towards the Strategic Plan 2013-16 First Discussion Paper considered at the Commonwealth Ministerial Task Force Meeting in London on 14 June; and whether the recommendations relating to a diminished role for agriculture, health and education are in accordance with the policies being pursued by the Department for International Development.

Baroness Northover: The Government welcome the Commonwealth Secretariat's 2013-16 Strategic Plan First Discussion Paper. In particular we support the secretariat's intention to rationalise its work by focusing on areas of comparative advantage, and to minimise duplication with the work of other international bodies, thereby increasing the effectiveness of its organisation. The Multilateral Aid Review conducted by DfID in 2011 concluded that the secretariat's limited resources were spread too thinly and that its work was insufficiently prioritised.

Department for International Development: Reports

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports the Department for International Development has requested and received from each country to which it provides official development assistance in each year since 1997.

Baroness Northover: DfID receives and commissions a vast number of different reports, including those done specifically for us, those done by other agencies, and those undertaken by external partners in the countries themselves. Many of these reports are held by DfID country offices so there is no centrally collated information about them. The cost of counting all these reports is disproportionate.
	DfID staff regularly produce a number of reports. These include operational plans for each of our priority countries and all spending departments. These are published on our website. DfID also produces a business case, an annual review and a project completion report for every project or programme that we fund and these are also published on our projects database on our website.

Education: GCSEs

Lord Janner of Braunstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in their consultation about the reform of GCSE examinations they will indicate how the reforms will support children with mixed abilities.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Government want to raise standards in all our schools and give every child the opportunity to acquire the rigorous qualifications they need to succeed in further study and the world of work. We want to move away from the existing two tier system where pupils are entered for a higher or foundation tier GCSE; where those pupils who enter the foundation tier cannot achieve the top grades most respected by employers and further and higher education. We want to introduce a single tier system which stretches the most able pupils and supports the less able to achieve a valued, world class qualification.
	We will be making a detailed announcement shortly.

Energy: Smart Meters

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will make an announcement about the communications frequency between smart meters and the proposed home area network.

Lord Marland: The Government will be consulting shortly on the communications frequency to be used for the home area network; once this process has been completed and decisions made, an announcement will follow.

Equal Pay

Baroness Thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how their skills strategy will contribute to reducing the gender pay gap.

Baroness Wilcox: The Government are committed to making full use of the skills and experience that women can bring to the economy. Raising the levels of skills and qualifications achieved by women improves their earnings and employability. The latest research shows that there continues to be a large and significant wage gain for most vocational qualifications at level 2 and level 3 while all qualifications at these levels are associated with increased likelihood of being in employment. There are strong, positive returns for apprenticeships where, at level 3, the wage gain is 22%.
	The Government's skills strategy has expanded apprenticeships and, for the first time, data for the 2010-11 academic year show that more women started an apprenticeship than men. Data for advanced and higher level apprenticeships also showed more women starting these programmes. In the 2010-11 academic year, 57% of adults (aged 19 and above) participating in government-funded further education and skills were women. Vocational qualifications accredited on the Qualifications Credit Framework are flexible and respond to the changing needs of employers so that learners can be sure of gaining skills that employers are looking for. We are currently discussing with employers how their role in the design, quality assurance and award of qualifications might be developed further.
	Separately, there is evidence that women also derive greater benefit from higher education than men. Research conducted by BIS shows that the earning returns to undergraduate degrees for women are in almost all circumstances higher than the earning returns achieved by men.

EU: Data Protection

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of proposals from the European Commission to introduce new regulations in respect of data protection.

Lord McNally: The European Commission published new legislative proposals for data protection on 25 January 2012. The Government held a call for evidence between 7 February and 6 March 2012 and used this exercise to gather examples of how the proposals will impact data subjects and data controllers in the real world. 143 responses were received to the call for evidence and a summary document was published on 28 June 2012. This is available at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/data-protection-proposals.cfe.
	The summary of responses contains the Government's initial assessment of the impact of the Commission's proposals and also sets out the Government's intended next steps.

EU: Republic of Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any emergency bilateral assistance for the Republic of Cyprus from Russia or China would impact on its membership of the European Union; and whether any member states have entered into such external arrangements during the financial crisis.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Member states are required to inform the Commission before agreeing a loan from a third country with attached conditionality. This does not impact upon their membership of the European Union.

EU: Republic of Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect any emergency bilateral assistance for the Republic of Cyprus from Russia would have on its role and responsibilities as it assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July.

Lord Howell of Guildford: There would be no effect on the Cypriot presidency of the European Union as a result of any emergency bilateral assistance from Russia.

EU: Republic of Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect any emergency bilateral assistance for the Republic of Cyprus from Russia would have on the sovereignty of UK bases in Cyprus.

Lord Howell of Guildford: There would be no effect on the sovereignty of the UK bases in Cyprus as a result of any emergency bilateral assistance for the Republic of Cyprus from Russia.

Forced Marriage

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether child marriages or forced marriage will be included in the personal, social and health education school curriculum.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is taught on a non-statutory basis, and therefore schools are free to decide on what they teach in PSHE education. Our current programmes of study, which many schools follow, propose that pupils are taught about the importance of respect and consent within relationships; and about the nature of marriage and other stable, loving partnerships.
	We are reviewing PSHE education, to determine how we can improve the quality of all PSHE teaching. As part of the review, we are revising the current guidance on sex and relationships education (to which schools must have regard) in order to strengthen the teaching of relationships, positive parenting and sexual consent.

Government Departments: Legal Payments

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what payments were made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to (1) Clifford Chance, (2) Freshfields, (3) Slaughter and May, (4) Allen and Overy, and (5) Linklaters, in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11, and (d) 2011-12; and to what those payments related.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Core Defra made no payments to (1) Clifford Chance, (3) Slaughter and May or (4) Allen and Overy between 2008-09 and 2011-12 (inclusive).
	Core Defra made three payments to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP between 2008-09 and 2011-12 (inclusive); all three were made in 2011-12. The payments were for £132,249.35, £56,294.20 and £50,255.61, in respect of legal fees relating to the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
	Core Defra made one payment to Linklaters LLP between 2008-09 and 2011-12 (inclusive). The payment was made in 2009-10 for £80,711.43, and was in respect of legal fees relating to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund II.
	The payments referred to in this answer all include VAT.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Lord McNally: As at 30 April 2012, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 48 staff employed within private offices, none of whom were under 21 or an apprentice.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprentices (1) under the age of 21, and (2) over the age of 21, were employed within the Ministry of Justice on 1 June, excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Lord McNally: On I June 2012 there was one directly employed apprentice within the Ministry of Justice who was under the age of 21 and no directly employed apprentices aged 21 years or older. In addition there are 458 existing staff currently working towards an apprenticeship qualification, 12 of whom are under the age of 21.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Baroness Wilcox: As at 1 June 2012, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had a total number of 54 staff employed within ministers' and the permanent secretary's private offices, including one apprentice.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Lord Howell of Guildford: At 1 June 2012 there were a total of 55 staff, all full-time, working in the private offices of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and the Permanent Under Secretary (PUS). None were under the age of 21 and none were apprentices. The total includes two special advisers.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprentices (1) under the age of 21, and (2) over the age of 21, were employed within the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 1 June, excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Lord Marland: As of the 1 of June 2012 DECC had two apprentices, both under the age of 21.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Department for International Development on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Baroness Northover: As at 1 June 2012, the Department for International Development had 22 staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary. Of these: (1) none were under the age of 21, (2) none were apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) none were apprentices over the age of 21.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprentices (1) under the age of 21, and (2) over the age of 21, were employed within the Department for International Development on 1 June, excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Baroness Northover: As at 1 June 2012, the Department for International Development employed no apprentices either (1) under the age of 21, or (2) over the age of 21.

Government Departments: Food Waste

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the decision of both Houses of Parliament to sign up to the WRAP Hospitality and Food Service Voluntary Agreement to reduce food waste, the Department for Education will sign up to that agreement; and whether they will encourage catering contractors employed by the department to do the same.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Department for Education signed up to the WRAP Hospitality and Food Service Voluntary Agreement in March 2012.
	The department is committed to sustainable waste management, and is currently developing processes to increase the proportion of its food waste sent for anaerobic digestion and composting.
	In April 2012, the department entered a new total facilities management contract, and will be actively encouraging its new catering suppliers to sign up to the agreement.
	In 2011-12, the department reported an 89% recycling rate, which included food waste management.

Government: Air Travel

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Strathclyde on 28 March (WA 267), what are the names of all those who travelled on the chartered aircraft with the Prime Minister to the United States on 13 March, other than the aircraft staff and any individuals who will be named in the quarterly publication of ministerial overseas travel details.

Lord Strathclyde: The Government publish on a quarterly basis information about Ministers' travel overseas. Where charter aircraft are used the cost of hiring the aircraft is shown as well as the number of individuals travelling. The costs of members of the political office that accompanied the Prime Minister were met by the Conservative Party, and the costs of the journalists on the visit were met by the relevant news organisations.

Higher Education: Women

Baroness Thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures of success they are adopting in their skills strategy in relation to women's participation in further education, higher education and apprenticeships.

Baroness Wilcox: The Government are committed to making full use of the skills and experience that women can bring to the economy. We are building a skills system that supports growth, extends social inclusion and promotes social mobility to ensure that we can draw on the talents and skills of all. We have removed top-down targets, and are continually monitoring the impact of our reforms, including the up take of different groups through our quarterly published data.
	In the 2010-11 academic year, 54.5% of all learners participating on a government-funded further education and skills course were female (compared with 54.9% in 2009-10). For learners participating on an apprenticeship, 50.4% were female in 2010-11 (compared with 46.9% in 2009-10).
	Concerning participation in higher education, in the 2010-11 academic year, 56.4% of enrolments at UK higher education institutions were female (compared with 56.6% for the 2009-10 academic year).

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the 2010 calendar year, what was the split of the total imports of goods from outside the European Union, between (1) industrial goods, and (2) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products; and what were the corresponding aggregate gross (before handling charge) values of the common external tariff charged by HM Revenue and Customs on (a) industrial goods, and (b) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products.

Lord Sassoon: Import traffic from outside the European Union by volume in 2010 was split 3% (agricultural and fish products), 97% (industrial).
	By share of the total customs duty paid the split between agricultural and fish products versus industrial goods was 16% (£444,787,544.00) and 84% (£2,423, 566,814.00) respectively.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the 2010 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs charged a positive common external tariff (CET); and what was the corresponding aggregate value of the CET so charged.

Lord Sassoon: During 2010, goods subject to a positive duty charge to the value of £44,976,713,293 were imported from outside the European Union. Customs duty of £2,868,354,356 was charged and collected on these goods.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the 2010 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs effectively charged zero common external tariff (CET), whether this was because the product in question was not liable to CET or because it was zero-rated.

Lord Sassoon: During 2010, goods to the value of £191,883,198,586 were imported from outside the European Union where no customs duty was charged.

Independent Commission for Aid Impact

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 20 June (WA 303), how many of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's 53 recommendations have been accepted in their entirety by the Department for International Development.

Baroness Northover: Of the 53 recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), the Department for International Development (DfID) has accepted in full 43 recommendations. Eight recommendations have been partially accepted. Two recommendations have been rejected.
	DfID does not reject ICAI recommendations lightly and rejections do not mean that we are not dealing with the issue. The two ICAI recommendations rejected by DfID to date refer to ICAI's reviews of UK Budget Support Operations (Recommendation 6) and DfID's Education Programmes (Recommendation 2). The management response to all reports and their recommendations can be found on the DfID website: http://www.dtid.gov.uk.

Intelligence and Security Committee

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have sought as to whether the Intelligence and Security Committee can be constituted as a select committee of Parliament; and whether they will publish this advice.

Lord McNally: As part of the development of the Justice and Security Bill Ministers received policy advice from officials on a number of options for reforming oversight of the intelligence and security agencies and the wider intelligence community. This included advice on options for changing the status of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) and the question of whether the ISC could be constituted as a select committee of Parliament.
	The status of the ISC was considered in the Justice and Security Green Paper, published in October 2011, where the option of constituting the ISC as a select committee was discussed and rejected (paragraphs 3.18 and 3.19). The Justice and Security Bill provisions propose that the ISC becomes a statutory committee which is accountable to Parliament because it is appointed by and reports to Parliament as well as the Prime Minister.

Iraq: Chilcot Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current cost of the Chilcot inquiry; and when it will conclude.

Lord Strathclyde: The total expenditure incurred by the Iraq inquiry, from its establishment on 15 June 2009 to 31 March 2012 is £6.l million. The inquiry will publish its expenditure for FY 2012-13 in due course.
	The inquiry is independent of Government, and the completion of its report is a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

Iraq: Chilcot Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the fees per diem paid to the chair and members of the Chilcot inquiry.

Lord Strathclyde: Members of the Iraq inquiry are paid at the following rates: chairman-£790 per day; committee members-£565 per day.
	The rates, which have been in the public domain since January 2010, have not changed since the beginning of the inquiry.

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to answer Question for Written Answer HL281, tabled on 17 May; and why it has not been answered.

Lord Strathclyde: I have answered the noble Lord today.

Rwanda

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom will push for the full publication of the reports by the United Nations panel of experts on alleged links between Rwanda and the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The interim report of the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo was released on 26 June and can be found on the relevant committee's website (www.un.org/sc/committees/1533/). An addendum containing evidence of Rwandan violations of the arms embargo and sanctions regime was published on 29 June and can be found at: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2012/348/Add.1.

Turks and Caicos

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they have undertaken on the proposal to introduce value added tax in the Turks and Caicos Islands; what has been the response to that consultation; and what further consultation is planned.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The introduction of value added tax (VAT) is a decision for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. A decision to introduce VAT was announced in the 2011-12 budget statement. This decision was based on thorough research and an assessment that VAT would offer a simpler, equitable and stable revenue source. A Green Paper on VAT implementation was published in May and consultation is underway on this. VAT will be implemented from 1 April 2013.

Turks and Caicos

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many submissions have been received from residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands regarding the proposal to introduce value added tax; how many public meetings have taken place to allow islanders to express their views; and whether any changes to the original proposals are being considered following those meetings.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The introduction of value added tax (VAT) is a decision for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. A decision to introduce VAT was announced in the 2011-12 budget statement. This decision was based on thorough research and an assessment that VAT would offer a simpler, equitable and stable revenue source. A Green Paper on VAT implementation was published in May and consultation is underway on this. VAT will be implemented from 1 April 2013.